Japan welcomes nomination of Roos as U.S. ambassador

Thursday 28th May, 11:35 AM JST

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koizumi at 11:16 PM JST - 28th May

Don't worry folks, the work of the U.S. Embassy will proceed in a good fashion with this new Ambassador. His work will be less brain surgery than intelligent, thoughtful human relations. Obama's pick will prove to be an excellent one.
TheMarion at 11:17 PM JST - 28th May

Obama bought his way to the Presidency of the United States and he obtained the monies to win from his fund raisers. Now it is pay back time and those who produced are now being given Ambassador positions all over this world. This post should have been awarded to Joseph Nye, who is a Harvard graduate and would have been a great educator, something needed in most of the counties in this world. Education is the key to progress.

I predict that Roos will be a "taken" and not a "giver."
TheMarion at 11:50 PM JST - 28th May

Incidentally, my son was an Associate Professor with Edwin Reischauer at Harvard and Reischauer sent my son to Japan to Chair the Japanese History program at the International Christian University at Mitaka, Japan. He has been there for the past 28 years as a full Professor teaching Japanese history and getting great results. ICU is one of the top Colleges in Japan and turning out students from almost every country in this world. He has witten many books on Japan and he is rubbing shoulders with some of the greast writers of this era - writers such as Eldridge, Bix, Ota and Johnson. My favorite is Gavan McCormack.)
Fadamor at 11:51 PM JST - 28th May

Not to knock educators in general, but the position of Ambassador should never be given to an educator. I work in the education field and I know educators who have the tact of an enraged bull in a glassware shop. Lawyers are actually a better profession to come from than the education field when considering a diplomatic career. They have learned the arts of tact, persuasion, and compromise which comes in much more handy as a diplomat than the skills of presenting facts and ideas.
Ninjazilla at 01:43 AM JST - 29th May

Obama only cares about Iran when it comes to foreign relations so it really dont matter who he appoints for Japan.
Badge213 at 02:18 AM JST - 29th May

he short answer is Japan picked someone who at least had some knowledge of America and we did not. Whether that matters in the long run I doubt. America's Japan policy is pretty consistent and I don't think who the ambassador is matters that much.

How many former US ambassador's to Japan have actually lived or studied in Japane prior to becoming US Ambassador to Japan? NONE to my knowledge. So why all the hubub suddenly? Ambassador jobs have often gone to friends of the administration, does not matter if it is Republican or Democratic, this is nothing new here folks, so I don't see what the big hubub about this particular case is now.
Keithhhh4 at 04:30 AM JST - 29th May

Ambassador to Nippon is just a figure head position; the real power is with the U.S. military
OssanAmerica at 06:49 AM JST - 29th May

How many former US ambassador's to Japan have actually lived or studied >in Japane prior to becoming US Ambassador to Japan? NONE to my knowledge

Edwin O. Reischauer
Badge213 at 08:07 AM JST - 29th May

Edwin O. Reischauer, ok you got me there. But 1 out of how many now? The point is you really take orders from back home to begin with. So point to me what's so new about this case here now? How about the last Ambassador and the 3 or 4 before him?
Sarge at 08:12 AM JST - 29th May

If the Japanese are happy wth him, I guess he'll work out OK.
kwatt at 08:49 AM JST - 29th May

It seems that Japan doesn't care about whoever becomes ambassador and they think all american faces are always same.
koizumi at 09:33 AM JST - 29th May

Don't worry, be happy ... it's true, Roos is just another foreign face in the end.
Seiharinokaze at 01:00 PM JST - 29th May

Joseph Nye perhaps doesn't want to witness a regime change in this country by a new government that may still possibly be ruled by a supposedly retired boss who undauntedly says that Japan needs not more than the 7th Fleet as any U.S. presence in the Far East, adding that Japan should basically defend herself on her own. Something unprecedented in the postwar history. As the post (of the U.S. ambassador) is for squeezing as much from this country as possible by taking its security hostage, Mr. Nye probably shirked being chagrined at his not so rosy future as viceroy over here?

Anyway it seems all well and good that Japan is at last getting a bit more unmalleable as it gets seemingly less important.
apecNetworks at 05:16 PM JST - 29th May

I believe many in the US versed in Japan are aware that the diplomatic mission in Japan is not the "lead group". This aspect became more pronounced for me for the last 15years. The change is probably due to the end of the Cold War.
MASSWIPE at 03:56 PM JST - 30th May

"Not to knock educators in general, but the position of Ambassador should never be given to an educator"

Good point, Fadamor. Some tenured professor who can't be fired and basically has no boss cannot be expected to perform the position of Ambassador all that well (or any other job outside of academia, for that matter).

The question of who should be US Ambassador to Japan has been a thorny one since Japan re-emerged in the 1960s as a major economic power that gradually eroded the dominance of US industry. Someone who appears too tough on Japan gets labeled a "basher" while one who appears too lenient is seen as a fawning "Chrysanthemum Clubber". I don't care for either bashers or fawning admirers of Japan. Hopefully Roos will find the middle ground.